Intervention
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: The team isn't quite sure what happened to cause Tony and Bucky's breakup, but they've had quite enough of the two falling apart because of it. IronWinter. Happy ending.


Intervention

A/N: For the Imagine Tony and Bucky group on Tumblr.

"Tony and Bucky break up and both are completely crushed. Tony won't come out of the lab without being forced, and even if he does, he can't make it five minutes without some kind of vice to help him through it. Bucky gets drunk and starts bar fights, and is exceptionally violent during missions. Imagine their surprise and frustration when the avengers hold an intervention, and spend an hour convincing them to kiss and make up already."

"Okay. This has _got_ to stop." The entire team paused in their various positions of disembarking from the quinjet to turn their attention on the displeased archer. "You and you," he pointed at Tony and Bucky in turn, "kiss and make up already."

Bucky's fists clenched at his sides and Tony looked like the one thing he wanted most in the world was a bottle of scotch. To be fair, though, that'd been Tony's default expression ever since the two had broken up nearly a month ago. If Tony wasn't locking in his lab, he was losing himself in the bottom of a bottle, and all the while Bucky was getting more and more erratic in the field.

"Fuck you, Barton," the sniper snarled.

Tony had already begun edging toward the elevator to escape back to the lab, but Natasha stepped smoothly into his path. He'd already taken the armor off. It would be a piece of cake to take him down.

"No, I think Clint's right. We need to talk about this. You two are both acting like morons."

"Now, now," Steve interceded, clearly trying to keep the situation from boiling over, "I think that might be a bit harsh. But we are worried about you. Both of you."

"Well we don't need you're worry! We're _fine_!"

"You broke that kid's _arm_ , Barnes! That's not exactly a ringing endorsement to back you up!" Clint exclaimed.

"He was a threat," Bucky growled, getting right in the archer's face.

"There were better ways to handle it," Clint growled right back, "and I may be deaf but I'm not blind! You're just looking for excuses to take out your frustration on other people."

"Enough!" Steve barked before Bucky could punch Clint in the nose. "Clint, you're out of line but, Bucky, so were you. No matter what's going on in our personal lives, we don't take it out on other people even if they are villains."

"Friend Tony," Thor's uncharacteristically quiet voice drew their attention to the genius, "are you well?"

The inventor seemed to be completely drawn into himself, arms wrapped around his chest and head ducked low so that his hair fell across his face just a bit. Despite the fact that he was arguably the shortest person on the team, it was the first time they'd seen him look so…small before.

"I-I can leave, go back to California." He gave them a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but only made him seem more fragile. "I've done the solo thing before, I can do it again. I don't want to cause a problem by being here."

A strangled kind of noise clawed its way out of Bucky's throat. It didn't look angry anymore, just utterly devastated.

"No, don't you do this to me again, Tony. Don't you _dare_."

Somehow, Tony managed to avoid eye contact with the entire room.

"It'd just be for a while, you know. Or it could a permanent thing, if that would be better."

"Tony," Bruce sounded like he was trying very hard to maintain control of himself, "why would you ever think that you not being with this team, with _us_ , would be better?"

Tony shrugged, still not looking at any of them.

"I'm willing to give you space, is all I'm saying."

His words were aimed at Bucky and the man himself looked like he was having to physically hold himself back from running to Tony and wrapping him up in his arms. Natasha's narrowed eyes darted back and forth between them.

"Why did you two break up? One day, you were fine, the very picture of domestic bliss, and the next you refused to be around each other." Her expression softened a bit, her voice right along with it. "We didn't want to pry, but we do want to help."

Bucky raised his head high, chin stiff and shoulders squared like a rebel leader facing his execution with dignity and pride.

"I asked Tony to marry me-" his voice broke and he struggled for a moment to get it back under control, "and he said…he said that if that was where I wanted our relationship to go, then it was probably better that we went ahead and stopped."

"Oh, my God, Buck…"

Steve pulled his childhood best friend into his arms, Bucky trying to stay strong even as his shoulders trembled. His grief was written in every line of his stance.

"Why?" Bruce looked utterly bewildered. "Tony, you're _crazy_ about Bucky! Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true!" Tony was looking pretty pained himself, knuckles white from how hard he was clenching the fabric of his shirt. "I'm about to be fifty years old!"

"I do not understand," Thor said, brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Tony's eyes finally snapped up to glare at the god.

"It means I'm going to _die_. And if I'm very lucky, I'll get old first."

"That's why you said no? Because you think you're going to die?" Bucky asked, pulling away from Steve.

Tony's glare snapped over to settling on Bucky, but he softened only a moment later.

"I don't _think_ I'm going to die, James, I know I am. It's biology, fact. Just like getting old. Dammit, I _already_ look like I could be your father!"

Bucky gaped at him.

"You think I care what you _look_ like? Tony, _I love you!_ "

"But it's not just that I _look_ fifty! Think, James! I actually _am_ fifty! And maybe I'll actually make it to see seventy-five or eighty if I manage to outlive every doctor's prediction and then what? When I'm stuck in a home, a wheelchair, a fucking hospital bed, what then? What happens when you're stuck married to an invalid who might not even be able to remember _who you are_?"

"What then? Then I'll be right there beside you, you asshole! I'll be looking for solutions and researching everything I can get my hands on but most of all I will be _loving_ you."

Tony's shoulders dropped, all the fire seeming to leave him at one time.

"I know. I doubt you've ever given up on something in your entire life." Tony sounded exhausted. "And that's exactly why I can't let this happen. I can't let myself be that selfish. All the research in the world can't stop the inevitable and when the day comes, I'll be gone but _you'll_ be the one here who has to live with it."

" _Don't_. If you think I don't understand the consequences then let's talk about it! You can give me a fucking power point presentation and hire a lawyer to state you case, I don't give a damn! But do _not_ take my choice away. I've had enough of that from HYDRA."

Horror flooded Tony's face, his hands flying up to cover his mouth, and Bucky barely crossed the space between them in time to catch Tony before he collapsed. The inventor's arms clutched at Bucky's form, his face buried in the soldier's chest as he repeated "I'm so sorry!" over and over again. Bucky just held him and rubbed his back soothingly, pressing kisses into his hair.

"Shhh...It's alright, love. It's alright. I've got you."

One by one, the other Avengers slipped out of the room, leaving the couple to their privacy. After all, they figured those two would be able to work things out from here on their own just fine.


End file.
